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Boracay

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Boracay
Map
Geography
LocationSouth East Asia
Coordinates11°58′10″N 121°55′38″E / 11.96944°N 121.92722°E / 11.96944; 121.92722
ArchipelagoVisayas
Area10.32 km2 (3.98 sq mi)
Administration
Philippines
Demographics
Population12,003[1]
Pop. density1,163/km2 (3012/sq mi)

Boracay is a small island in the Philippines located approximately 315 km (196 mi) south of Manila and 2 km off the northwest tip of Panay Island in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. Boracay Island and its beaches have received awards from numerous travel publications and agencies.[Note 1] The island comprises the barangays of Manoc-Manoc, Balabag, and Yapak municipality of Malay, province of Aklan. The island is administered by the Philippine Tourism Authority and the provincial government of Aklan. Apart from its white sand beaches, Boracay is also famous for being one of the world's top destinations for relaxation.[9][10] It is also emerging among the top destinations for tranquility and nightlife.[11]

In 2012, Boracay was awarded as the best island in the world from the international travel magazine Travel + Leisure.[12][13]

History

Pre-colonial Period

Boracay Island was already an inhabited place before the Spaniards came to the Philippines. It was known to the Iberian conquerors as Buracay. At the time of contact with the Europeans, Buracay had a population of one hundred people, who cultivated rice on the island, and augment their income by raising goats.[14]

Contemporary Period

Boracay was originally home to the Ati tribe. Boracay is part of Aklan Province, which became an independent province on April 25, 1956.[15][failed verification][16]

Sofia Gonzales Tirol and her husband Lamberto Hontiveros Tirol, a town judge on nearby Panay island, took ownership of substantial properties on the island around 1900 and planted coconuts, fruit trees, and greenery on the island. Others followed the Tirols, and cultivation and development of the island gradually spread from this initial beginning.[17]

Tourism came to the island beginning in about the 1970s.[18][19] The movie Too Late the Hero was filmed in 1970 on locations in Boracay and Caticlan.[20] In the 1980s, the island became popular as a budget destination for backpackers,[15] By the 1990s, Boracay's beaches were being acclaimed as the best in the world.[21]

In 2012, the Philippine Department of Tourism reported that Boracay had been named the world's second best beach after Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands.[22]

Etymology

The name Boracay is attributed to different origins. One story says that it is derived from the local word "borac" which means white cotton with characteristics close to the color and texture of Boracay's white sugary and powdery sand. Another credits the name to local words "bora," meaning bubbles, and "bocay," meaning white. Yet another version dating back to the Spanish era says the name is derived from "sagay," the word for shell, and "boray," the word for seed.[23] [24]

Geography

Location of Boracay above Panay Island.
Phuka Beach on the northern shore of Boracay

Boracay Island is located off the northwest corner of Panay Island, and belongs to the Western Visayas island-group, or Region VI, of the Philippines. The island is approximately seven kilometers long, dog-bone shaped with the narrowest spot being less than one kilometer wide, and has a total land area of 10.32 square kilometers.

South-facing Cagban Beach is located across a small strait from the jetty port at Caticlan on Panay island, and the Cagban jetty port serves as Boracay's main entry and exit point during most of the year. When wind and sea conditions dictate, east-facing Tambisaan Beach serves as an alternative entry and exit point.[25] Boracay's two primary tourism beaches, White Beach and Bulabog Beach, are located on opposite sides of the island's narrow central area. White Beach faces westward and Bulabog Beach faces eastward. The island also has several other beaches.

White Beach, the main tourism beach, is about four kilometers long and is lined with resorts, hotels, lodging houses, restaurants, and other tourism-related businesses. In the central portion, for about two kilometers, there is a footpath known as the Beachfront Path separating the beach itself from the establishments located along it. North and south of the Beachfront Path, beachfront establishments do literally front along the beach itself. Several roads and paths connect the Beachfront Path with Boracay's Main Road, a vehicular road which runs the length of the island. At the extreme northern end of White Beach, a footpath runs around the headland there and connects White Beach with Diniwid Beach.

Bulabog Beach, across the island from White Beach, is the second most popular tourism beach on the island and Boracay's main windsurfing and kiteboarding area.

Boracay is divided for land use and conservation purposes into 400 hectares of preserved forestland and 628.96 hectares of agricultural land.[26][27][28][29][30][31]

Climate

Map of Boracay Island.

Weather in Boracay is generally divided into two seasonal weather patterns known locally as the Amihan and Habagat seasons. In the Visayan language, Amihan means a cool northeast wind, and Habagat means west or southwest wind; south-west monsoon.[32] The Amihan season is characterized by moderate temperatures, little or no rainfall, and a prevailing wind from the NorthEast. The Habagat season is characterized by hot and humid weather, frequent heavy rainfall, and a prevailing wind from the west.[33]

On Boracay, the main indicator of the switch between the Amihan and Habagat seasonal patterns is the switch in wind direction. In most years this transition is abrupt and occurs overnight. In some years there is a period of perhaps a week or two where the wind will switch between Amihan and Habagat patterns several times before settling into the pattern for the new season. As a general rule of thumb, Boracay will be in the Amihan weather pattern from sometime in October to sometime in June and in the Habagat weather pattern for the remainder of the year.[34]

Daytime temperatures on Boracay generally range from 77–90 °F (25–32 °C) from the beginning of the Amihan season into February or March, and increase to the 82–100 °F (28–38 °C) range with the onset of the Habagat season.[35] During Tropical Storm periods, temperatures can fall below 68 °F (20 °C). Tropical Storms can impact Boracay at any time of year, but are most likely to be seen during the Habagat season.[36]

Tourism

Puka Beach, Boracay where the rare Puka shells are found.

Partly because of its wind and weather patterns, tourism in Boracay is at its peak during the Amihan season. During Amihan, the prevailing wind blows from the east. Boracay's main tourism area, White Beach, is on the western side of the island and is sheltered from the wind. During the Amihan season, the water off White Beach is often glassy-smooth. On the eastern side of the island, hills on the northern and southern ends of the island channel the Amihan season wind from the east onshore, onto Bulabog Beach in the central part of the island's eastern side. This makes the reef-protected waters off that beach ideal for windsurfing and kiteboarding / kitesurfing.

In June 2011, it was reported that a real estate development group led by Andrew Tan had earmarked P20 billion to develop tourism estates "featuring an integrated, master-planned layout and world-class resort offerings and amenities" in Boracay and Cavite. The planned Boracay project, Boracay Newcoast, involves four hotels with 1,500 rooms, a plaza and entertainment center.[37]

Leisure activities

The White Beach in Boracay

Leisure activities available on or near Boracay include scuba diving, helmet diving, snorkeling, windsurfing, kiteboarding, cliff diving, and beach relaxation.

Boracay is the site of a 18-hole par 72 golf course designed by Graham Marsh.[38] In addition, as of 2010, Boracay has in excess of 350 beach resorts offering more than 2,000 rooms ranging in quality from five-star to budget accommodation.[39] In addition, Boracay offers a wide range of restaurants, bars, pubs, and nightclubs.

Events

Boracay is one competitive venue for the Asian Windsurfing Tour,[40] with the week-long Boracay International Funboard Cup competition usually held in January on Bulabog Beach. In 2010, the event dates are January 25 – 31.[41] CNNGo, a division of CNN focused on travel/lifestyle/entertainment, selected the Boracay International Funboard Competition on the weekend of January 22–24 as one of its 52 weekend recommendations for 2010.[42]

The well-known Ati-Atihan Festival takes place each January in Kalibo on nearby Panay island. A much smaller Ati-Atihan festival is celebrated on Boracay, usually in the second or third week of January. [citation needed]

Dragon boat races are held annually on Boracay under the auspices of the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation, with teams coming from around the Philippines and from other Asian nations to compete. The races usually take place sometime in April or May. The 2012 Boracay Edition of the PDBF International Club Crew Challenge to is scheduled for April 26–28, 2012.[43]

The Boracay Open Asian Beach Ultimate Tournament, an ultimate frisbee event, has been held annually since 2003, usually in March or April.[44]

Asian Games Centennial Festival

Boracay will host a special multi-sport event called the Asian Games Centennial Festival. On its 31st General Assembly in Macau, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has decided to create the Asian Games Centennial Festival in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Oriental Games (later became Far Eastern Championship Games).[45] OCA has awarded the Philippines the hosting rights as it was the same host 100 years ago in the first Far Eastern Championship Games held in Manila. The Asian Games Centennial Festival will be held in Boracay on November 2013.[46] The 32nd OCA General Assembly will be held in conjunction of the games.

Languages

The first settlers of Boracay are Negrito people called Ati, spoke a Visayan language called Inati.[47] Later settlers brought other languages to the island, including Aklanon (as Boracay is part of Aklan province) and other Visayan languages, Tagalog (and its variant, Filipino), and English.

Transportation

Motorcycles with side car on Boracay Island's main road. Motorcycles with side car are the primary mode of transportation on the island.

Boracay island is separated from Panay island by a narrow strait. The island is located opposite the barangay of Caticlan in the municipality of Malay, Aklan. Transportation across the strait is provided by boats operating from the Caticlan jetty port.

By air

Boracay is served by two airports in Aklan province: one in Kalibo and Godofredo P. Ramos Airport (commonly referred to as "Caticlan airport") in Malay. Most domestic airlines fly to Kalibo and Caticlan namely: Philippine Airlines, PAL Express, Cebu Pacific, South East Asian Airlines, Zest Airways and AirAsia Philippines.

By sea

The western part of the Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SRNH) passes through Caticlan, with car ferries from Roxas, Oriental Mindoro docking at the Caticlan jetty port. Several bus companies operate provincial bus routes from Manila which pass through Caticlan via the SRNH.

On the island

The two main modes of transport are via motor-tricycles along the main road or by walking along the beaches. Pedicabs are also available for transport along the Beachfront Path. Other means of transportation include mountain bikes, quadbikes and motorbikes, all of which can be rented.

Radio stations

  • Yes FM Boracic|Yes FM 91.1 Boracay
  • 93.5 Easy Rock Boracay
  • DYKP-FM 97.3 Dream FM Boracay
  • DYIX-FM 104.9 Star FM Boracay
  • DYJV-FM 106.1 Radio Boracay
  • DYBH-FM 88.5 Beach FM Boracay
  • DYBX-FM 100.7 Astig FM Boracay
  • DYBI-FM 92.1 Paradise Radio
  • DYBW-FM 95.7 Wild-FM Boracay

Local cable channels

  • Paradise Channel Boracay
  • Amazing Aklan Channel
  • Boracay's White Beach
    Boracay's White Beach
  • A view at dusk of Willy's Rock at Boracay Beach
    A view at dusk of Willy's Rock at Boracay Beach
  • Sunset in Boracay
    Sunset in Boracay
  • Boracay's White Beach, at Boat Station 2
    Boracay's White Beach, at Boat Station 2
  • White beach at station 2
    White beach at station 2
  • Another view of Willy's Rock
    Another view of Willy's Rock
  • White Beach at Boracay
    White Beach at Boracay
  • View taken from Mt. Luho, the highest point in Boracay Island.
    View taken from Mt. Luho, the highest point in Boracay Island.
  • Rock formations in Boracay
    Rock formations in Boracay
  • Crystal Cove
    Crystal Cove

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Some awards and rankings for Boracay are:
    • Boracay was awarded in the "Travelers' Choice 2011" by TripAdvisor as the second best beach (out of 25) in the world.[2][3][4]
    • Boracay made a debut appearance on the Top 10 Islands list in the Travel + Leisure travel magazine World's Best Awards 2011, ranking fourth.[5][6][7]
    • In 2012, Boracay has been named as the best island in the world by Travel + Leisure[8]

References

  1. ^ "Total Population, Household Population and Number of Households". National Statistics Office. May 1, 2000. Retrieved 2007-05-31.
  2. ^ TripAdvisor Announces 2011 Travelers' Choice Beaches Awards
  3. ^ Tripadvisor: Top 25 Beach Destinations in the World 2012
  4. ^ Malacanang hails inclusion of Boracay as one of world's top beach destinations
  5. ^ "Top 10 Islands". World's Best Awards 2011. Travel + Leisure Magazine.
  6. ^ Cupin, Bea (18 July 2011). "Boracay hailed as 4th best island in the world". GMA News TV. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  7. ^ "Newspaper Archives". Boracay Island Awards.
  8. ^ "BORACAY 2012 WORLD'S BEST ISLAND". July 11, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-07-15. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  9. ^ "Boracay is top place for relaxation: poll". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  10. ^ "Boracay beats Asian favourites to take crown as top destination". Good News Pilipinas. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  11. ^ "Relaxation, nightlife both more fun in Boracay". Yahoo! Philippines. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  12. ^ "Boracay named 2012 worlds best island". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  13. ^ "BORACAY named 2012 No.1 World's Best Island". Boracay Beach Live. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  14. ^ Miguel de Loarca, Relacion de las Yslas Filipinas (Arevalo: June 1782) in BLAIR, Emma Helen & ROBERTSON, James Alexander, eds. (1903). The Philippine Islands, 1493–1803. Volume 05 of 55 (1582–1583). Historical introduction and additional notes by Edward Gaylord BOURNE. Cleveland, Ohio: Arthur H. Clark Company. ISBN 978-0554259598. OCLC 769945704. "Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the beginning of the nineteenth century.", p. 75.
  15. ^ a b "Aklan Tour". Panublion Heritage Site. Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2007-06-12.
  16. ^ Our Province Aklan Historical Background, The Provincial Government of Aklan Official Website
  17. ^ The Woman Behind the Greening of Boracay, The Sunday Times Magazine November 1987 by Nick I. Marte, Encyclopedia Britannica. (article text can be seen here)
  18. ^ The Island Paradise of Boracay, Philippines by Grandma Rosemary
  19. ^ Grele, Dominique, Lily Yousry-Jouve (2004). 100 Resorts in the Philippines: Places with a Heart. Asiatype, Inc. p. 225. ISBN 971-91719-7-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ Filming locations for Too Late the Hero (1971), Internet Movie Database.
  21. ^ "Boracay Tops World's Best Beaches". The Philippine Star. Internet Archive. February 16, 1990. {{cite news}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  22. ^ Mayen Jaymalin (January 29, 2012). "Boracay named world's 2nd best beach". The Philippine Star.
  23. ^ Historically Digitized, Ro Isla it Buruanga.
  24. ^ Sofia Lamberto, The history and cultural exchange of the Spaniards in the Filipino island of Boracay, euroheritage.net.
  25. ^ http://www.boracayisland.org/?page_id=18
  26. ^ Boracay to be developed as forest land – DENR official, gmanews.tv
  27. ^ G.R. No. 167707 and G.R. No. 173775, The Secretary of DENR vs. Mayor Jose Yap, Dr. Orlando Sacay vs. The Secretary of DENR, October 8, 2008
  28. ^ SC affirms Proclamation 1064 on Boracay, inquirer.net
  29. ^ Jay B. Rempillo, [1], Supreme Court of the Philippines.
  30. ^ The Secretary of Tourism exercises administration and control mandate of the Philippine Tourism Authority over Boracay Island, Executive Order No. 706, s. 2008
  31. ^ Boracay establishments heed the call for voluntary redevelopment
  32. ^ English, Fr. Leo James (2004, 19th printing). Tagalog-English Dictionary. Manila: Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. ISBN 971-08-4357-5. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  33. ^ "Habagat Amihan Northeast Southwest: What Is Monsoon Weather?". Puerto Galera Yacht Club.
  34. ^ "Philippines : Weather". Lonely Planet (travel guidebook).
  35. ^ Available climate charts for Iloilo City, located about 150 kilometres (93 mi) to the southeast, show similar variations.
    ^ "Iloilo, Philippines: Climate, Global Warming, and Daylight Charts and Data". climate-charts.com. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
  36. ^ "Monthly Typhoon Tracking Charts". Digital Typhoon. Retrieved 2008-12-13. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  37. ^ "Alliance Global unit to spend P20-B for tourism estates". ABS-CBN News. June 30, 2011.
  38. ^ Fairways & Bluewater Golf Resort, Graham Marsh Golf Design.
  39. ^ http://www.exploreiloilo.com/boracay-philippines
  40. ^ The Asian Windsurfing Tour, Proteus Sports.
  41. ^ The Boracay International Funboard Cup website
  42. ^ 52 Weekends: Go somewhere different every week, CNN GO;
    ^ Estan Cabigas, January 22-24: Boracay International Funboard Cup, CNN Go, 18 January 2010.
  43. ^ PDBF International Club Crew Challenge: Boracay Edition at Official Website of the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation.
  44. ^ The Boracay Open Asian Beach Ultimate Tournament is organized by the Philippine Ultimate Association.
  45. ^ "OCA General Assembly opens in Macau". OCA. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
  46. ^ "Philippines to host 2013 Centennial Asian Games". Inquirer Sports. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  47. ^ Mirla N. Cantalejo. Bridges to Communication: Language Power. Rex Bookstore, Inc. p. 52. ISBN 978-971-23-5150-1.

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Boracay.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Boracay History.
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